Honor and Blood
by Sitiah3
Summary: Some of us fight for glory, some for vengeance, and others just to survive. But in The Games of Honor and Blood there can only one winner. Zutara.


**My first Story (well the first on ). I got this idea from reading several stories were the Avatar characters are in the hunger games, however, I plan on making this story rather different. The Games of Honor and Blood are inspired by the Hunger Games but I plan on making some crucial differences especially when it comes to the games rules. The whole story is in Katara's POV (unless of course she dies in which case it will change to someone else). I'm also thinking this will be Zutara however I'm not sure how it will fit in with the plot I have in mind. Anyways please enjoy.**

**Disclaimer: Neither ATLA nor the themes of THG belongs to me. **

Chapter 1: Frozen

A bitter wind rips through the tent flaps, bringing with it the smell of sea water and ice. I huddle deeper under the pile of animal skins just as a brown head pokes in.

"You decent in there sis?" It's Sokka holding one gloved hand over his eyes.

"I was sleeping." I groan, looking up at him.

"Well you'd better get dressed. The selections in an hour and dad got stewed sea prunes for breakfast."

"What?!" I bolt upright.

Sokka laughs, "Don't worry we aren't gonna eat them _all_ without you."

But I'm not worried about the sea prunes. "The selection is in an hour?!"

Sokka's face falls slightly, "Yeah you slept late. But dad figured we shouldn't wake you up cause…" He trails off but the meaning is clear: because of the nightmares. I've had them as long as I can remember. Everyone thought I would grow out of them but here I am at fourteen still unable to sleep soundly through the night. The dream is always the same too. I'm drowning, but crystal blue water around me burns like fire. I'm a water bender so I should feel at home in the water but in my dream there is nothing friendly about it. I shiver, a mixture of cold and unease.

Sokka must have noticed because he frowns, "Don't worry there are hundreds of other names in there, you're chances of being picked are slim." It's a lie, my chances aren't slim and we both know it. He tries to give me a reassuring smile, "Wear something nice okay?" Then he's gone, disappeared out into the snow.

Grumbling I rise. Several furs cover the ground but my feet still feel frozen. Rummaging through the single basket that contains all my clothes I pull out a simple blue dress. It's nothing fancy and the fabric is rather worn in places, but it was my mother's dress. She died in a fishing accident when I was small so I don't many memories of her. But this dress is special; it was her selection dress when she was my age. My dad say's its good luck because she never got chosen; so far it's worked for me too. I quickly braid my thick hair to the back then slip on my boots and heavy fur coat.

Outside is bleak, harsh winds blow across the barren tundra. The grey sea crashes into the icy shore. Nestled right up to the sea shore is sector five, the Sothern water tribe. Most of the buildings are huddled together but ours is perched right on the edge of the cliffs. Guards are positioned there but honestly you would have to be insane to try escaping into the ocean, its a hundred foot drop and the water is freezing. You can't escape over the tundra either because a huge wall of ice surrounds the town on three sides. Its several hundred feet high and fire nation guards patrol along the top. The only people allowed to leave are fishermen, trappers, and hunters like our dad. He's take both myself and Sokka out on several occasions, though technically its illegal as neither of us have licenses or clearance to leave. But the guards generally turn a blind eye because more hands at work means more food and they're as hungry as anyone. Besides sector fives main industry is fur and seafood, and the more we send to the Fire Nation the more chance they have of getting promoted to somewhere warmer.

A short distance from my tent is the squat hut that serves as our kitchen. Inside Sokka and my father are eating breakfast.

As I enter my father looks up, "You look beautiful Katara, just your mother."

I blush, even though he tells me this every year. Sokka puffs out his chest indignantly, "What about me? Aren't I handsome?"

Despite the seriousness of the atmosphere we all laugh. Then Sokka hands me a bowl of stewed sea prunes and the meal continues in silence. Sea prunes are one of my favorites but I'm too nervous to eat and just end up picking at it. Today is a day that's torn apart many families: the selection. Every year one boy and one girl between the ages of eleven and seventeen are publically chosen as sector five's champions. I've always wondered why they are called champions, probably to sound heroic and glorious, but honestly there is nothing heroic about what happens next. The champions (ours as well as twenty two others from all around the world) are taken to a large outdoor arena where they become engaged in a bloody game of last man standing. The winner is crowned as a sort of champion of champions and their sector is showered in prizes.

The whole thing is called The Games of Honor and Blood, created by the Fire Nation both as punishment and as a sort of commemorative event of the war in which the Fire Nation defeated the avatar and gained dominion over the world. The other three nations, water, earth, and fire were divided into sectors. Officially there are six sectors, the earth kingdom, the northern and southern water tribes, the air nomads (the southern and eastern temples are grouped together as one sector), a small island called Kyoshi, and of course the Fire Nation which also serves as the capitol. The amount of champions chosen from each sector is dependent on the sector size, so while the earth kingdom and fire nation as the largest each get six champions, the water tribes and Kyoshi each only get two.

To make things worse the Fire Nation broadcasts the games to all of the sectors, so we have to watch as our champions are cut down. Occasionally one of our own will win, but that hasn't happened since before I was born.

All too soon it's time to go. Together the three of us trudge through the snow towards the center of town, were the selection will take place. A mechanical devise is projecting images onto a tall sheet of frozen ice. The pictures are a little blurry however, I know that they are showing similar selections around the world.

We come to a halt as we reach the line of eleven through seventeen year olds waiting to be checked in.

My dad pulls us both in close, "Listen, whatever happens know that I'm proud of you, alright?" This is one of the most painful parts of the selection, because there is no time for goodbyes afterwards they have to be said in advance.

"We won't get chosen." Sokka say's with a calmness that surprises me.

Our father pulls two wrapped bundles out of his pocket and hands one to each of us, "Just in case you do." I open mine and gasp. It's the betrothal necklace that he gave my mother. The carved blue stone on it glitters beautifully. "They let you take one thing from home into the arena." He explains. Sokka opens his to reveal an amulet carved in the shape of a wolf. "It was mine when I was younger. I would have given you my boomerang but they don't let you take weapons."

We both tackle him with bear hugs, this isn't the first time he's given us tokens before the selection but it's the first time they've been so meaningful.

Then we bid our goodbyes and step into line.

"Hey dad!" I look back over my shoulder, "See you afterwards."

* * *

All of us are crammed into the tiny square with no apparent rank or order system. A small stage made of ice has been erected next to the viewing screen. Three chairs are arranged there. Two are occupied by the winners from sector five: Hama and Bato. Bato is my dad's age, I actually think they might have been friends before his games, but now he keeps to himself mostly. Hama is an ancient old woman; no one remembers her games very well as they were so long ago but I seem to remember that she is a water bender. The third chair is occupied by a stern looking woman. Her name is Meng and she's sector five's champion escort. Basically she in charge of making sure none of our champions escapes before they reach the Fire Nation.

Currently we are seeing a short film on the history of The Games of Honor and Blood. I'm not really watching, my stomach is twisted in so many knots that I almost wish I had eaten earlier, then again I might have felt sick then. I try to find Sokka in the crowd but there are just too many people.

The film ends and Meng gets to her feet. "Welcome sector five to the eighty second Games of Honor and Blood." I stiffen, knowing what's coming. "As is tradition the female champion shall be selected first." She crosses to where an ice sphere containing hundreds of slips of paper sits. Each of us is required by law to put in one slip. Supposedly that keeps it fair, because everyone has an equal chance of being drawn.

The entire square seems to catch its breath as Meng's hands dips in and pulls out a single slip.

"This year's female champion for sector five is Katara daughter of Hakoda and Kya now deceased."

I'm frozen. Once when I was young I fell through the ice when our father took us out hunting. The water was so cold that I felt as though every fiber of my being was turning to ice. Even after I was pulled out I didn't move for fear that I had frozen and that I would shatter like ice does when you hit it. That's how I feel now staring up at the stage. I was one slip, one slip in hundreds.

"Katara." Meng calls again and I can feel all eyes on me. I want to hide, to run, but that not an option. Instead I begin the slow ascent to stand beside Meng. I try to keep my eyes directly ahead, because I can't bear to look at Sokka or my father.

Once I'm on the stage Meng crosses to the second sphere. I'm not really paying much attention as a young boy I vaguely recognize as the brother of one of the girls I attend school with comes to stand next to me. Then Meng asks for volunteers. It's not unheard of for someone to volunteer to replace a selected tribute, but it never happens in sector five. For that reason I'm shocked when someone actually does.

"I volunteer!" There are gasps from the audience and somewhere within my numb mind I recognize the voice. I have to fight back tears as the boy climbs onto the stage.

"Name?"

"Sokka son of Hakoda and Kya now deceased."


End file.
